Alleviation of Multinutrient Deficiency for Productivity Enhancement of Rain-Fed Soybean and Finger Millet in the Semi-arid Region of India

Soil nutrient contents were determined in 802 surface soil samples (0–15 cm deep) collected from farmers' fields that support extensive cultivation of soybean (Glycine max L.) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana G.), spread across three districts, in the semi-arid regions of Karnataka, India. Following soil analysis, on-farm crop trials were conducted during 2005–2007 to study the crop response to the soil application of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), boron (B), and zinc (Zn) fertilizers. Analyses of soil samples revealed that 4–83% fields were deficient in N, 34–65% in P, 83–93% in extractable S, 53–96% in B, and 34–88% of farmers' fields were deficient in Zn. On-farm trials conducted during the three rainy seasons (2005, 2006, and 2007) significantly (P ≤ 0.05) enhanced crop productivity indices such as yields of grain, stover, and total biomass in soybean and finger millet crops. Integrated management of deficient nutrients in finger millet and soybean crops significantly enhanced the grain and straw uptake of N, P, K, S, and Zn

Management of early loss of first permanent molar: A new technique

The loss of a permanent first molar in adolescent patient creates a need for early space maintenance and restoration of function. To ascertain function and esthetics, immediate treatments include interim restorative approaches. This paper describes a conservative, functional and cost-effective bridge as an interim restoration after the loss of permanent first molar in an early adolescent dentition

Topiramate-induced angle closure with acute myopia, macular striae

Topiramate is a sulfamate-substituted monosaccharide used in the treatment of seizures, and prophylaxis of migraine. A number of ocular side-effects have been described with use of topiramate, like bilateral angle closure, acute myopia and macular striae. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) clinches the diagnosis after ruling out other causes of shallow anterior chamber. Previous studies have not demonstrated internal limiting membrane folds presenting as macular striae. We report a case of topiramate-induced acute myopia with angle closure and macular striae in a young adult. This is the first report wherein striae formation after low doses of topiramate and their resolution have been documented by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Effect of Processing Routes on the Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of Half-Heusler TiFe0.5Ni0.5Sb1−xSnx (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) Alloys

Sn-doped TiFe0.5Ni0.5Sb1−xSnx (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) were synthesized by vacuum arc melting (VAM). In addition to the half-Heusler phase, secondary phases of Fe–Sb-rich compound and Ti-rich compounds were obtained after VAM. The alloys were then subjected to ball milling for 1 h and 5 h. Ball milling for 1h led to microcrystalline grains, while that for 5 h led to nanocrystalline grains. Ball milling followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1173 K led to significant reduction in size of secondary phases in the microstructure. The undoped sample exhibited a ZT of 0.008 at 873 K for both 1h and 5h BM-SPS samples. © 2021, ASM International

Thermoelectric properties of nanocrystalline half-Heusler high-entropy Ti2NiCoSn1−xSb1+x (x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1) alloys with VEC > 18

Powder metallurgy route has been employed to synthesize nanocrystalline Ti2NiCoSn1-xSb1+x(x = 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1) alloys for thermoelectric applications. Atom probe analysis confirmed the homogeneous distribution of elements in the half-Heusler phase at a scale of few nanometers. A combination of nanostructuring, lattice distortion and interfacial scattering brings about a reduction in lower thermal conductivity which brings forth an improvement in ZT. Ti2NiCoSb2 exhibited the highest ZT of 0.26 due to the increments effected by higher power factor and lower thermal conductivity. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Thermoelectric properties of a high entropy half-Heusler alloy processed by a fast powder metallurgy route

A half-Heusler (HH) type high entropy alloy (HEA) Ti2NiCoSnSb has been synthesized by a fast powder metallurgy route for the first time. Mechanical alloying (MA) by wet milling produced a powder with a minor fraction of the HH phase. The dry milling route resulted in the desired single-phase HH material. Consolidation of the nanocrystalline mechanically alloyed (MA) powder by spark plasma sintering (SPS) resulted in a majority HH phase. Interestingly, the nanocrystalline alloy exhibited simultaneous enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, with a maximum ZT of 0.13 at 973 K observed for the dry milled alloy. The band structure obtained by density functional theory (DFT) was in good agreement with the ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) absorption spectroscopy results. The DFT calculations and microstructural analysis suggest that phase separation strongly influenced the thermoelectric properties. The band structure calculations provided a good rationale for the phase evolution and thermoelectric properties. © 2022 Elsevier B.V